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State Rep., Glossip attorney file petition, accuse prosecutors of mishandling evidence

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The above video comes from recent coverage in the Glossip case.

Attorneys for Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip have filed a new petition, asking for an evidentiary hearing weeks before his scheduled execution.

During a press conference Thursday afternoon, attorney Don Knight and Oklahoma State Rep. Justin Humphrey outlined their evidence in the case, claiming that Glossip is an innocent man.

“I’m a strong proponent of the death penalty, but only if we are 100% sure we are executing the right person,” said Rep. Humphrey. “When the justice system works, everyone is better.”

Rep. Humphrey, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, has been working with fellow State Representative Kevin McDugle to raise awareness in Glossip’s case while also calling for a new hearing.

More than 60 Republican and Democratic politicians have written a letter, asking Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor to intervene.

O’Connor refused.

The most recent petition lists affidavit from witnesses, including Justin Sneed’s daughter, Justine.

Sneed was convicted of beating Barry Van Treese to death inside an Oklahoma City motel room in 1997. Sneed was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, without the chance of parole.

Glossip was also convicted of murder, though he did not physically commit the crime. The State tried his case for a second time in 2004 and Glossip was again found guilty of first-degree murder.

During the press conference, Knight and Rep. Humphrey shared information that was obtained during an independent investigation handled by Reed Smith, an international law firm.

The report states that key evidence obtained by prosecutors were never handed over to Glossip’s legal team. This is known as a Brady violation.

The report also claims that Sneed discussed recanting his testimony several times over a decade, but was discouraged by his own attorney. In a letter, Sneed’s daughter Justine claims that her father was feeling guilty and wanted to recant his testimony.

She said Sneed had wanted to recant for years, but was afraid he would be sentenced to death.

Reed Smith’s report also stated that there is evidence showing that prosecutors gave Sneed false information during Glossip’s second trial, ensuring that his original testimony would match.

“The State’s evidence has always been weak, relying on just one person’s testimony, Justin Sneed, to convict Richard Glossip of a capital crime.  But rather than play by the rules, the State decided to cheat to secure a conviction,” said Knight. “If a jury knew that, up until moments before he testified at trial, Justin Sneed was seeking to recant or withdraw his testimony, it would have seriously damaged his credibility. Also, if we had known this important evidence during our attempts to seek a new trial in 2015 we might have succeeded in the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Justin Sneed has been a consistent liar throughout his life.  The State knew all of this then, but still did not disclose it.  We ask the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals now to grant a new trial because the State withheld evidence that likely would have resulted in finding Richard Glossip innocent.”

Rep. Humphrey has called for an investigation into the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, claiming to have enough evidence that warrants a deep dive into the department.

During the press conference, Rep. Humphrey discussed how difficult it was to obtain documents connected to the case. “Everything we have has been a fight. Think about what we could do if we had access to the full case.”

Both Rep. Humphrey and Knight have called on David Prater, the Oklahoma County District Attorney, to release the full case. A clemency hearing is scheduled for Oct. 9.

Glossip was originally set to be executed on Sept. 22, but Gov. Stitt issued a stay of execution in August. As of right now, Glossip is scheduled to be put to death in December.

Knight discussed the importance of fighting for Glossip.

“Glossip is a nobody. He’s not some powerful person. He’s just like all the rest of us. This is what the Government can do when they are allowed to run amuck.”

You can read the full petition, including evidence and affidavits, below.



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